Forever and Again ?
by ladywritestheblues
Summary: Sam and Mercedes have been married for 8 years and things were going good for a while until Sam did the unthinkable. will tragedy bring the family back together or will it prove too much to bear.?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Sam you've been late picking up the girls four times this month alone! Twice I had to leave the office to rush to their school because you forgot. They're already dealing with you not being in the house anymore and they're asking questions about you forgetting about them. They're two four year girls, there is only so much they can understand but they aren't blind either. "

Mercedes sat at the kitchen island with her head in her palm. She was tired of having to remind Sam of his responsibilities. It has been six months since their separation and it seemed to her like all the weight to keep up appearances to their twin girls was falling on her shoulders. Her hair was thrown on top her head in a messy bun and it matched her feelings exactly. She didn't want the girls to suffer because their parents were divorcing but she couldn't make Sam realize how much it was truly hurting them.

"Sam, I know you're going through a really tough time right now; we all are but you can't just check out on life. Our girls need both of their parents." Mercedes looked pleadingly into his eyes as she sat across from him in what used to be the kitchen they shared.

"How could you possibly be having a hard time Mercedes? You aren't the one who lost their job, you weren't kicked out your home and you were not the laughing stock of the nation! Maybe you should have sole custody of the kids until I get on my feet. You know how much Bai and Rye mean to me but right now I am not the best person to help take care of them.

Mercedes sat there with a look of bewilderment spread across her face as Sam spewed his final words. She couldn't believe he was sitting there loathing in self-pity. All of the things he was going off about were things he caused all on his own. And now he was playing the victim and abandoning his children. He was out of his mind.

_About a year ago Mercedes and Sam were trying to conceive another baby. For months they tried and tried but nothing came of it. Sensing something might be wrong, Mercedes and Sam set up a visit with her Gynecologist. After several test from her doctor all of Mercedes' results indicated no sign that she should have trouble getting pregnant. Automatically she asked her husband to follow up with his doctor in hopes of coming up with an answer. Initially he agreed but several weeks passed without him making an appointment, so Mercedes Made one for him. Initially they argued about her overstepping and not allowing him to handle scheduling the appointment but she quickly reasoned that she was only looking out for their health and family and the argument ended. What happened at the doctor's office is where the real trouble began._

"Mercedes, you don't have to go with me. It's just a few simple test, I'm sure everything is fine." Sam had insisted on attending the appointment alone ever since he found out that Mercedes took a personal day from recording in the studio to go with him. She was working on her third album and it was crunch time. But Mercedes did not care. She wanted to be there with him for support. Especially since they had been spending so little time together lately.

"hunny ,I want to go. And afterwards maybe we can catch a light lunch or something before we had back home. It's been a while since we had any alone time outside of the house."

_Sam could see that changing her mind was not an option so he let out a deep sigh and said sure. _

_Mercedes noticed his attitude changes lately but she attributed it to him being under pressure about them trying for a new baby. _

_They drove along riverside drive until they reached his doctor's office. Mercedes was riding passenger side and enjoying the scenery, she had never been to this office before. When they entered the Office Mercedes took a seat near the television neatly arranged in the corner of the office while Sam walked to the Front Desk to check in._

_The couple only waited for a few short minutes before a nurse popped her head in the waiting room and called for Sam Evans. Sam didn't recognize the nurse so he figured she was new to the office, he also failed to realize his wife was right behind him until she reached down to hold his hand. He stopped short causing the couple to collide._

"Cedes please wait in the waiting room, it's only going to take a few minutes and then we can go for lunch. If I freak out about needles or if I need to hold your hand I pinkie promise I will shoot you a text and you can come right in.

Mercedes screwed up her face and objected yet again. "No Sam I'm coming with you. Besides how are you going to text me when you let Bailey lose your phone in the Park yesterday?"

_By now Sam had a total look of fear and defeat across his face because only he knew what was coming next. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Mercedes flew like a bat out of hell from the doctor's office. Sam chased behind her begging her to slow down and let him explain but she would not stop. She kept running until she was sure he stopped following her. When she looked around she realized she was in riverside Playground. She walked a few more minutes until she came to an empty bench where she plopped her curvaceous frame down. Hours must have gone by because the once warm breeze was turning into a chill and some of the park lights had started to flicker on. Mercedes remained in her original spot trying to grasp all that took place a few short hours ago._

"Okay Mr. Evans, Doctor Johnson will be in momentarily informed, the nurse.

"Babe, Breathe. I'm sure everything is going to be fine." Mercedes told Sam. But Sam was in another place mentally.

With a jerk of his head, Sam turned to Mercedes and said "Mercedes, there is something I need to tell you."

She looked at him with concern in her eyes and waited for him to speak. Before he could continue with his sentence, the door opened and in walked Doctor Johnson.

Looking down at his patient chart as she entered the room she spoke. "Baby what happened to you last night, I thought we had dinner plans?" looking up from her chart she realized the extra body in the room. With a perplexed look on her face, Doctor Johnson outstretched her hand to the mystery woman and introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Dr. Alicia Johnson.

Still trying to comprehend the doctor's first comment upon entering the room, Mercedes did not shake her hand but Sam interjected before she could speak "Alicia this is my wife, Mercedes.

"I'm Sorry did you say wife?

Sam looked from the floor where his eyes were once glued and stared gazed momentarily at both women. Finally he spoke up. Yes, this is my wife.

Mercedes was completely taken aback by the woman's responses and asked a general "what is going on here?" she took in the surprise on the doctor's face and then the guilt and perspiration on Sam's and quickly out the two together.

"How long have you two been sleeping together? When no one offered an answer, Mercedes repeated the question louder and without the tremble her voice had a second ago.

An almost inaudible "two years" came tumbling from Sam's lips.

Mercedes repeated his statement, then let her eyes travel from him to her. "Did you know he was married? That he has two children? Mercedes kept her glare on the woman as she awaited her response.

"I knew that he had twin daughters but he told me his wife left him and his mother was helping him raise the girls." both women were now looking at Sam, daring him to speak.

"Have you met my Daughters?"

When Alicia didn't answer, Mercedes shook her head in disbelief for a second. Then came the loudest slap anyone in the office had ever heard. Sam held the side of his face and stood in shock for a moment as he watched his wife flee from the building.

"Mercedes! Wait! Please let me talk to you, I can explain." Sam begged as he jogged behind her trying to catch up with her fast pace. But Mercedes wouldn't stop to talk or even look back at her husband.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Sam drove around the neighborhood looking for his wife for over an hour. Finally he gave up and headed into a local bar not too far their home. Being that he was from the neighborhood and he had visited this bar before, the bartender noticed him and welcomed him to a seat at the far corner of the bar. It was already a dark room but the look on Sam's face told the man he needed it to be even darker. Immediately Sam began ordering bourbon shot after bourbon shot until his thoughts became fuzzy and his words became a slur. _

"Sam, I think you've had enough for the night buddy, let me call you a cab." At first Sam decline the offer, but when he attempted to stand, he realized the liquor had indeed kicked in.

_Twice the driver had to stop so that Sam could poor out his guts on to the street. When he arrived home. He was hoping that Mercedes wasn't home. He knew he couldn't face her in this state. And for the first time today, he got his wish. There was no sign of Mercedes anywhere in the house. He went upstairs and changed out of his soiled clothes and headed for a shower. Underneath the heavy stream Sam's mind drifted back and replayed the incidents that took place earlier today. _

"How could I have been so dumb? What was I thinking?"_ He started thinking about all the other times he cheated on Mercedes thinking she would never find out and he could easily count four different women throughout their marriage that he cheated with. All of those women had been one night stands and short lived flings until he met Alicia Johnson. He never meant to cheat on his wife but every time she left home go on tour he couldn't shake the feelings of loneliness that overcame him. Each time it happened, he would swear t himself that it was a one-time thing and that he would stop but with every tour or long road trip or overseas visit he succumbed to his feelings and sought out the company of other women. One time though, he was able to stop all his cheating altogether. When he and Mercedes found out they were expecting their first child together, Sam was on cloud nine. Before he even knew the sex of the baby he was out buying baby clothes and cleaning out what would be the nursery. Mercedes was elated as well. She was nearing the end of her second world tour when the couple found out they had conceived twins. For the remaining six months of her pregnancy Sam catered to Mercedes' every need, attended every appointment and purchased every baby book he could find. They were the picture perfect family; Mercedes, Sam, Bailey and Riley up until about 9 months after the twins were born._

_Sam was boarding a flight to Vegas to speak at an engineering seminar when he met Alicia Johnson. They were seated in the same row, just across the aisle from one another. Their conversation was innocent enough to be considered just friendly banter between two travelers. And upon landing the pair exchanged business cards, after all he was traveling to expand his brand and networking was definitely a major part of this trip._

_After delivering his speech at the seminar, Sam found himself sitting alone at the hotel bar. He had just called Mercedes to check on her and the kids but he ended up only speaking to her mother who was in town to help out while he was gone. She informed him that his wife was asleep and she would give her the message when she woke. No more than five minutes passed before Doctor Johnson walked in with two of her girlfriends. They noticed each other instantly and she made her way over to the bar to greet her flying companion._

_"_Hey again, how was your speech?' Alicia stood behind Sam with her hand lightly touching his shoulder.

"Hey yourself; it went well thank you." Sam looked over at the two other ladies and introduced himself.

"Good evening ladies, are you enjoying yourselves? The two ladies snickered like school girls before they gave him a playful "yeah" there must have been a joke that only the ladies were in on because they continued to laugh as Alicia made introductions_. _After brief conversations at the bar, the ladies convinced Sam to join them on the "_Strip". _The foursome hopped from night club to bar to casino until the wee hours of the morning. being the gentleman that he was, Sam escorted the girls back to the Venetian Hotel where they were staying. still very intoxicated and buzzed off the excitement of the evening, Sam decided to try his luck one final time at the casino in the lobby of the hotel. Apparently Alicia had the same thoughts because in she strolled still dressed in her party clothes.

"You know three times is a charm, don't you?" she flirted in his ear before she blew on the pair of dice he was holding. in the short hour that Sam had been in the casino he found himself turning one hundred dollars into twelve hundred playing blackjack. He had just reached the Craps table when he spotted Alicia at a slot machine.

Sam threw down the dice and secretly prayed for a seven. "woooh! Dr. Johnson you must be my good luck charm cuz i'm unstoppable right now." that had been the sixth consecutive winning roll for the pair and they were ecstatic. "Keep it up and I'm going to have to keep you Doc." joked Sam. But to Alicia that was all the conformation she needed to hear. She thought all along that he had been flirting with her but hearing him say it out loud was the green light for her. knowing when to walk away Sam and Alicia headed to the Cashier window to claim his total winnings of four grand for spur of the moment casino run. Sam handed ten crisp one hundred dollar bills to Alicia, "you really might be the best sidekick ever". the two shared a light chuckle as they both pondered the idea of what they should do next. Sam glanced at his watch and was stunned. it was nearing six a.m. Sam decided to call it a night. His flight home was scheduled to depart until 7p.m so he had plenty of time to sleep, shower and pack his few items and make it to the airport on time.

Once again, he headed towards the elevator bank to escort Alicia to her room. the elevator stopped on the eleventh floor and the pair headed down the long hall arms entangled in search of room 1142. the walk was silent. only a few yawns exchanged.

"Here we are' announced Alicia with the hint of excitement mixed with nervous energy. she was sure he was going to put the moves on her as her friends had joked earlier. the chemistry between was undeniable.

"yes we are" he replied. after a brief pause, "it was very nice meeting you Doctor Johnson. Thank You for turning what would have been another boring trip into this craziness" he laughed as he patted the pocket his winnings were in. Sam outstretched his arms and embraced Alicia in a slight bear hug and as he leaned in for a kiss on the cheek he caught the attention of a full set of plump lips, as Alicia had turned her head in perfect sync with his.

The slight tap on the lips slightly caught sam off guard for a moment but then after a very brief pause the two sets of lips came together with the passion of two people who had been missing each other for months and they'd finally been reunited. and at that very moment Sam knew without even having it cross his mind that his monogamy days were over again.


	4. Chapter 4

**HEY EVERYONE! Thanks for reading my thoughts. SPECIAL THANKS TO Greeneyes89 for pushing me and helping me come up with better material. all forms critique are encouraged and welcomed. Hope you enjoy Chapter 4**

**Chapter 4 **

Sam stepped out from behind the fogged glass shower door and walked across the heated tile flooring into the bedroom where he found his wife had returned and was now sitting on the far corner of the bed. At first he stood still not knowing what to say to her. He could see she had been crying, her once flawless makeup now sported streaks down the sides of her face where the streams of tears once traveled. What seemed like forever passed between the two before either spoke.

"The girls are staying at Sydney's tonight. She wanted to take them to the movies in the morning. Have you seen my reading glasses? I can't seem to find them anywhere." Mercedes eyes scanned the room for her glasses once again.

"Mercedes I am so sor.." before Sam could finish his sentence Mercedes cut him off.

"My glasses? Have you seen them? She stood from her position on the bed and rummaged through the nightstand drawers frantically.

"They're on the Mantle in the family room." He said flatly.

Mercedes left the room and headed to retrieve her glasses without saying another word to her husband. Once she found them she headed to her piano and played out some chords at random until she found a melody she liked. She took the pencil she had been storing from behind her ear and began drawing notes on her sheet music. The melody began to echo out through the house and as it grew longer it also grew darker. The song lyrics came spilling from her lips as quickly as they appeared in her brain

_" its always been you_

_Who I gave my heart to_

_The sun in my sky _

_The light of my life_

_But who are you now_

_ Cuz him I don't know.._

_The tears began to flow again, heavier this time. She continued playing the keys on the piano until the tears clouded her vision and she no longer had strength in her fingers and her lyrics turned into wails. _

_She promised herself on the way home that she would not let Sam see her cry. She would act as if nothing happened earlier because she wasn't ready to accept the news she'd been slapped with._

_ He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly and there she sobbed loudly into the crooks of one of his chiseled arms. _

_"let me go! How could you? How could you?" She repeated the question while Sam continued to hold her until she was too weak to break free of his grasp._

_"Cedes' I'm so sorry, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I love you so much." Hearing this gave her the strength she needed to break free of him. She looked venomously into his eyes and yelled "two years Sam? She's been around our daughters for God's Sake! Do not tell me you love me! Do not feign concern about my feelings now! For two years you have been living a life with this woman and the girls.." her voice trailed off. "who do the girls think she is? _

_Sam's head rose from the spot his eyes were trained on at the piano to meet hers and answered. "The girls only know her to be my friend. I don't bring Bailey and Riley around her that often and I'm never inappropriate with her when they are present."_

_Her eyes almost popped out the sockets at his comment. "You're never inappropriate around them? Did you really just say that? You bringing our daughters around another woman, your mistress is inappropriate!" Mercedes let out a throaty laugh at the sheer thought that he was being appropriate at all. "You know what, I am not doing this. Not tonight. "Mercedes pointed in the direction of the front of the house. "I don't care where you go but you need to leave."_

_"I'm not leaving until we talk about this. Please." Sam reached out to grasp Mercedes' hand but she yanked it from its reach._

_"You have exactly 5 minutes to pack a bag and go. Or don't pack a bag either way you're leaving this house unless God comes down in the physical form from his comfy cloud or wherever and He and President Barack Obama both Sit me down and persuade me to change my mind. And since I don't see that happening anytime in the foreseeable EVER then you will in fact be getting the Hell out my house." With that Mercedes stormed out of the family room and into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. _

_Sam knew he didn't really have a choice in the matter. He knew his wife meant what she said and he deserved every ounce of anger she threw his way. He had betrayed his best friend and his vows and he knew he was going to have to pay greatly for it. He headed towards the hall closet to retrieve his gym bag and indeed pack a few things. The entire time he was in the bedroom packing Mercedes sat on her side of the bed silently letting tears fall from her eyes. He couldn't stand to his her hurting so Sam grabbed up a handful of items threw them into the bag and headed towards the door. Before he exited out the bedroom he stopped and turned to face his wife one last time. " I am truly sorry and I do love you" were the last words he spoke._

_When Sam stepped outside he remembered that his truck was still at the bar and that he also lacked a cell phone so instead of going back into the house to dial a car service, he decided to take the thirty minute walk back to his car. _

_When she heard the last click of the lock on the front door, Mercedes slid to her knees from her bed and continued to sob. Everything about her relationship was now being questioned. How could she not have noticed that Sam was being unfaithful? Why hadn't the girls ever mentioned "daddy's friend". _

_Weakly Mercedes rose from the floor. She had cried every ounce of tear out she felt. Just then her cell phone rang. It was her sister. She considered letting it ring but since her daughters were with her she decided against it provided something could be wrong with one of them. _

_Taking in a deep breath Mercedes offered a hello._

_"Hi mama! We are eating green ice cream! And Bailey is being scared of Aunty Sydney's dogs. She was crying for a long time. I wasn't scared tho' ma, I was a big girl when I saw them." Mercedes heart smiled a little. She loved hearing her daughters' voices. Riley was the tomboy-ish of the set. Nothing scared her. She was always climbing, jumping and daring Bailey to do something. Bailey on the other hand was only interested in dresses, shoes and her beloved pink accessories. Anything that threatened to get her dirty was not for Bailey. Struggling to find a balance in her voice Mercedes replied "that's good baby, I'm glad you're having fun." Mercedes could hear riley in the background asking for the phone so she instructed Bailey to hand the phone to her sister. " Mama I wanna come home. Aunty Sydney's dogs are going to bite me and Riley keeps on teasing me mama. Please can you or daddy come get me?" This was usually what happened whenever Bailey was without one of her parents for a few hours. Mercedes calmly explained to Bailey "honey, if I come pick you up, you won't get to see the movie in the morning with your aunt and your sister. You're going to miss out on the pizza and popcorn and all the arcade games that Aunty Syd lets you play after the movie. Do you really wanna miss all that? When Bailey took too long answering her mother Mercedes knew she had won. "love you lee. Give big kisses to aunty and Rhi" Don't worry baby nothing is going to bite you and I will be there tomorrow to pick you up." Knowng her mom was right Bailey offered an "ok mama I love you too." Before hanging up the phone. It was now Mercedes turn to wash off the events of the day and try to get some sleep. _

_When she awoke from her slumber it was almost noon. After adjusting her eyes, Mercedes rolled over and reached for her cell phone off the nightstand. She saw that she had three voicemails and a few text messages. Putting her phone on speaker she played the voicemails first. The first one was from her manager reminding her for the thousandth time that she had a meeting with her label Monday morning. The second was from her manicurist wondering where she was because she was late to her appointment that morning. And the last was a message from Sam letting her know that he purchased a new phone that morning and that he wanted to sit down and talk with her. She knew that eventually she would have to talk to Sam, especially before the kids came home but she wasn't ready to just then. Plus she hadn't had her morning coffee and the day was already venturing out of morning and into afternoon. By the time Mercedes finished getting dressed, returning calls and emails and trying to write some new material for her album it was going on 7pm. She figured since her sister was keeping the girls an extra night she should stop ignoring Sam's Phone calls and speak to him, But just as she went for her cell phone to call him the doorbell rang._

_"Who is it?" She called out as she neared the door. When she got near the door she peeked out the side window to see red and blue flashing lights in her drive way. Immediately she went to the door and opened it._

_"Yes officers? May I help you? she stared into the eyes of two uniformed officers and awaited their response._

_"Good evening. Are you Mrs. Mercedes Jones- Evans? The first officer asked._

_"Yes I am. Is there a problem officer?" the worry was evident on her face and her heart began to pound. _

_"Ma'am there has been an accident. We need you to come with us" said the same officer._

_Now the shock showed completely showed all over her. "an accident, who was in an accident?" _

_"ma'am it is imperative that you come with us right now. We will explain it all on the way to the hospital" the second officer spoke this time and by the bass and authority in his voice Mercedes knew that he meant business. She ran to the kitchen to grab her purse and phone and fled out the door to the officer's already running car._

_As soon as she was in the backseat of the squad car the officers backed out of her driveway and sped down the street with sirens blaring on their way to New York Presbyterian Hospital._

**Who was in an accident? did they survive? what does this mean for Sam and Mercedes? New chapter coming soon! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok **im not completely in love with this chapter but i hope you guys enjoy it.. leave some reviews

**Chapter 5**

_The entire rise to the hospital took only about ten minutes but to Mercedes it felt like a lifetime. Both officers did their best to answer all her questions about the accident but there were some questions that only the doctors could answer and that didn't sit well with Mercedes. When they pulled up to the emergency room entrance mercedes barely allowed the officer to open her door before she was out the car and flying through the waiting room doors. Mercedes scanned the room in search of anyone dressed as a nurse or doctor. "Hello can anyone help me please? Hello my sister and my daughters were brought in earlier. She was speaking to a nurse now who was walking through the hallway. "ma'am calm down. What are their names?" the nurse's fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard as she searched for the information. "Ok ma'am it seems that your daughters are both in surgery right now and your sister is in a room to your left right over there." Surgery? What's wrong with them? mercedes asked frantically? "im sorry ma'am but i don't have that information. as soon as a their doctor comes out I will have him update you. would you like for me to show you to your sister?" the nurse asked with an apologetic look on her face. "Yes please" Mercedes answered. the pair walked a few feet and the nurse pulled back the curtain that separated the patients from one another. Mercedes already racing heart almost jumped out her chest at the sight of her bloody faced sister. Sydney was in bad shape. she had a bloodied bandage covering the right side of her forehead, a cast on her right arm, sticthes on her lower lip and one of her eyes was swollen so badly it barely opened. Mercedes walked over to the bed where two new officers stood by the bed questioning Sydney._

_"Syd, what happened?" Mercedes questioned, her voice barely above a whisper. Sydney turned her head to the direction her voice came from. she began sobbing and talking as she tried to explain to Mercedes how their afternoon trip to the zoo turned into the chaos before her._

_Bailey and Riley were strapped into their respective booster seats in the back of Sydney's burgundy Nissan Murano. One would think after four hours exploring The Bronx Zoo two four year olds would be exhausted but not her nieces. Instead the twins were arguing about who saw the biggest giraffe and flinging popcorn at one another but Sydney didn't mind one bit. She loved every minute that she got to spend with her girls, specially since she didn't have any children of her own. _

_The car was traveling down the Cross Bronx Expressway when Riley stated that BAiley was choking. Sydney instructed Riley to pat her on the back but when Bailey began to grab at her throat in a panic she knew she needed to pull off the road to her. Sydney turned her head towards the back seat to calm Bailey down as much as she could but when she saw Bailey's eyes bulging she panicked and the steering wheel turned sharply causing the car to hit the middle divider and flip over._

_The car skidded on its side across two lanes and before it could stop it had already been hit by two other cars. The sound of crying brought Sydney back from her unconscious state. She looked around to see what happened, still trying to get her bearings. She raised her hand to her face to wipe away whatever had spilled and gotten in her eyes. When she pulled her hand away she saw that her face was actually covered in blood. in the distance she could hear people yelling around the car but still dazed, she couldn't clearly make out what they were saying. just then she remembered the girls were in the back did her best to free herself from her seat so she could get to them. when she looked around she saw several pairs of moving feet but no girls. she started calling out for them in a panic when she heard a man telling her to stay calm. the ambulance was coming to get her to safety._

_she still couldn't see the girls she hollered to the voice to ask where they were. he told her that the ambulance had already got to them and were taking them to the hospital but she needed to stay calm so they could work on getting to her. _

_when the new ambulance and the fire department arrived, they had to use the jaws of life to free sydney from the car. Suprisingly her injuries were not nearly as terrible as the rescuers were expecting butof course they still rushed her to the hospital to make sure. _

"_Sydney!" More tears spilled from Mercedes' eyes as she heard the details of the accident. Sydney took a deep breath and continued giving her accounts of what she could remember from earlier that day. When Sydney got to the hospital there were police officers already waiting to ask questions about the accident. They informed her that Bailey was thrown from the car because somehow her carseat became unbuckled when she began choking. Sydney didnt remeber unbuckling her so maybe her sister did it. Riley was fortunate enough to still have been secured in her seat but she too was in surgery according to the police. The police automatically assumed Sydney was under the influence and immediately began testing her for drugs and alcohol. Several times Sydney asked the officers about the girls and each time she asked they either refused to answer her or ignored her altogether. instead they kept drilling her with questions about why she took her eyes off the road, if she was having suicidal thoughts, and was she intentionally trying to hurt the children. it was almost a full hour before that went by before the officers and doctors cleared Sydney before she could call Mercedes and sam. She still didn't know too much about the condition of the girls. Just as she hung up from calling sam Mercedes walked in. _

_Mercedes stared in disbelief as Sydney finished her story. She still couldnt believe the words that Sydney just finished speaking. Just then, a doctor dressed in a blue surgical gown approached Mercedes and Sydney. "Excuse me, are you Mercedes Jones- Evans?" Mercedes nodded her head, afraid of what news the doctor was about to give. "Mrs. Evans, my name is Dr. Jonathan Roberts. I operated on your daughter Riley. Riley suffered a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen and some intracranial hemorrhaging. I was able to relieve the pressure around her brain and remove the spleen to stop the bleeding. she came through the surgery but she is currently on a breathing machine until she is stable to undergo another procedure to repair the damage to her lung and rib cage. she has a lot of bruising and swelling but you can go see her as soon as we move her to the ICU. "what about Bailey, is she out of surgery? Mercedes asked frantically. Dr. Roberts looked at Mercedes Regrettably as he told her that he had no news on her second daughter. As the doctor walked away a hand landed on Mercedes Shoulder . She turned to see her husband standing there with bloodshot eyes and sweat pouring from his face as if he ran here from wherever he was when Sydney called him._


	6. Chapter 6

**i know it has been a long time since i posted but i was depressed about my lack of Samcedes in season 6 i needed a break lol. But im back. as always thank you for reading and please leave your comments and critiques. THANK YOU**

Chapter 6

" Sydney slow down, i can't understand anything you are saying. What happened to the girls? Where are you? im on my way. sam shoved his phone back into his pocket and took a deep breath. He had been calling his wife all day and she was still avoiding his phone calls so he decided to go for a run to blow off some steam. Central Park where he was running was not close to the hospital but Sam ran all the way there. "I hope my babies are ok." he whispered as he started to run.

When Sam arrived at the hospital his first sight was his wife and sister-in-law talking to whom he assumed to be a doctor. The look on his wife's face was one of horror. He stopped before he reached the group to gather his bearings before he joined the group. He didn't want Mercedes to see him looking so distraught, she already looked fragile enough. Just as he began walking toward the group, the doctor walked away. Sam reached out his hand and rested it upon Mercedes' shoulder. she didn't even notice the hand because her mind was still processing. he came up behind her closing his arms around her turning her slowly to meet his gaze at the same time. When she didn't pull away from him, he brought her in for a hug and reassured her that everything would be fine. with an outstretched arm he waved for sydney to join them in their huddle.

"So what did the doctors say exactly? Sam asked Mercedes. They walked towards the room Riley was transferred to after surgery. No one was prepared for the sight before them. frozen in the doorway sam stood staring at his daughter. There were tubes, cords and machines making noises everywhere. Only when he heard his wife's loud sobs did he realize that he stopped breathing and Sydney had left the room. Sam caught mercedes just as she was falling to the ground. his mind was racing. He held onto his wife as they slid to the floor never taking his eyes off his daughter. a nurse passing by saw them on the floor and came to offer her assistance. "I know this looks terrible but she is doing better than it seems. all of these tube and cords are really just one machine." the nurse stated to no one in particular. she walked in the room and reached out her hand for Mercedes to grab. she helped Both Mercedes and Sam off the floor and offered them each some water. Sam accepted and the nurse left . Sam turned to Mercedes to check on her. "Are you ok? Here have a seat." Sam pulled the chair from the corner of the room and sat it near Riley's bedside so Mercedes could be close. Mercedes still had not spoken but he was sure he felt the same as she did. When the nurse returned with the paper cup of he urged his wife to take a swallow. she refused. Instead she asked the nurse why she still hadn't heard anything about her other daughter. Sam saw how worked up she was becoming but there wasn't much that he could do about it. He too wanted to know what was going on with Bailey.

Sam stepped out into the hallway, he needed a quick second to pull himself together. He felt as if he was on the verge of a meltdown. "Breathe Sam, breathe. Sam took in a deep breath, held it for 5 seconds and then released it. He repeated it for three more times, stood up straight and gave himself a quick pep talk before he headed back in his daughter's room. "Sam pull yourself together. Your wife and children need you. man up. after all this is all your fault. just as Sam was ready to enter the room, the nurse that brought the water was calling for medical help. Sam ran back inside to see mercedes on the ground holding onto Sydney. She had passed out.

Mercedes and sam sat again in the waiting room anxiously as they waited to hear the news about Bailey and now sydney too. The two sat on opposite sides of the otherwise empty waiting room. "Cedes stop pulling at your hair." sam said softly. whenever she was nervous or worries. Mercedes would pull at the small hairs either in the front or back of her hair line. Sam stood from his seat and walked towards his wife. He wasn't sure what to say so instead he pulled her from her seat and just held her while she cried in his arms. silently he cried too. they had been in the hospital for 5 hours now and still no one had given them any news on Bailey's condition. everyone kept telling them that as soon as the doctor came out from the operating room he would be able to give them an update.

It was now breaking dawn. They had officially been in the hospital for 9 hours. A surgeon came out twice to tell the family tidbits about what was going on with Bailey and Sydney. What they knew was that Sydney was ok now and it was simply her adrenaline plus the events she already been through in the crash that made her faint. The doctors informed Sam and Mercedes that Sydney would remain in the hospital overnight so they could monitor her since she hit her head during the fall. As far as Bailey's condition went, all they knew was that she was out of surgery and that there had been a few complications. The doctors informed the parents that it would be a few more hours before they could give a more in depth report about her condition. about an hour later, a man in his late forties came walking towards Sam and a now sleeping Mercedes. sam stood up fast causing Mercedes to jolt from her sleep confused about her surroundings, but only for one second. The doctor introduced himself as Dr. Wajiid. He explained that Bailey suffered several broken bones, including a broken neck, ribs and wrist and arm. she was given a blood transfusion because she lost so much due to the glass that she crashed through when being thrown from the car. She also had several internal injuries that the second team of doctors were just finishing working on as they spoke. Dr. Wajiid informed the parents that Bailey would be placed in a medically induced coma in order for her body to begin the healing process. Because she was so small her if she was not placed in the coma she would be in excruciating pain and it would eventually cause her body to go into shock. Mercedes could no longer take it. The flood gates opened and Mercedes began to sob uncontrollably.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_It was now three weeks since the accident. Both girls were making strides towards recovery. Riley faster than Bailey, but that was to be expected. Riley was off her ventilator and breathing and talking more than ever. She had undergone two more less invasive procedures and was doing great. At first she was upset about her new haircut but now she loved her hair was always playing in it. The doctors were hopeful that within the next week or so she would be released, only having to return for physical therapy. _

_Bailey's condition was more serious and she would be remaining in the hospital for quite some time. the good news came when she awoke from her coma. She suffered some memory loss but it was slowly returning. because of her broken neck she remained bedridden and was only allowed to move with strict supervision from her doctors. The hospital set the girls up together in the same room so they wouldn't be separated and hoped it would help in the healing process. although they couldn't physically play together the girls enjoyed each other's company. Sam and Mercedes' family all came together to help out with the girls and their parent's demanding work schedule. they could all feel the tension in the air between the two of them but no one wanted to mention it. _

_After the news that Riley would be going home in a few days came, Mercedes and Sam decided they would leave the hospital for the night a little early, so right after the girls fell asleep they bid their goodbyes to the staff and headed home. Sam was staying at a hotel about two blocks from the hospital and Mercedes stayed at the house about 30 minutes away without traffic. In the elevator Sam asked Mercedes if he could come by to get some clothes and files he needed for work. Being that she was in a good mood after the news about Riley she agreed. _

_Sam hadn't driven to the hospital so he bummed a ride with Mercedes. The ride was pretty silent with the exception of Adele's 21 album flowing through the car's speakers. Mercedes stopped at the Chinese restaurant near the house and ordered dinner. Sam refused when she asked if he wanted anything. They arrived at the house and the first thing Sam noticed was how much of a wreck it was. On the sofa there was a throw blanket and pillow. On the coffee table there were empty glasses and Chinese takeout boxes and menus. Dirty napkins adorned the rest of the table and parts of the floor. they traveled into the kitchen to put down the food and there were dishes piled in the sink. Sam didn't say anything about the mess instead he announced that he was going upstairs to get the things he came for. He knew Mercedes would never admit to being overwhelmed by all that was happening with their marriage and the girls but her stress level became more and more evident as he ventured through the house. at the platform of the stairs there were 9 several pairs of shoes and sneakers alike. something that Mercedes never allowed. she would always complain that she was going to break her neck one day coming down the stairs to a pit of shoes at the bottom. There were a few items of clothes strewn about n the hallway. nothing to drastic but when he entered the bedroom he was blown away. the bed was unmade, there was clothes everywhere. broken glass from photo albums was on the carpet. their wedding photo that hung above the bed was tossed to the side and the frame must have been a part of the glass on the floor. Sam stood in total shock for a moment before he decided to look into his closet. he was afraid what she may have done to his clothes during her destruction phase. When he entered the closet everything was in place. it was like night and day from the rest of the house. Sam sat on the floor in his closet for a moment to take everything in. He must have been in there for too long because in walked Mercedes with a wine glass in her hand. they stared at each other for a moment. he couldn't believe how she had been able to conceal all of her pain in her appearance. she asked him if he was okay. he nodded yes and stood to begin collecting his clothes. He grabbed two suits, 4 shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, a handful of t-shirts a few pairs of work shoes, a pair of sneakers and some underwear. all the while Mercedes was back downstairs on the couch listening to music and eating her food. _

"_Cedes, are you ok? i know we haven't spoken since everything happened. I just want to make sure that you are ok." Mercedes didnt respond immediately. instead she looked down at her hand and began twirling her wedding ring. When she finally looked up at Sam he could see all the pain and anger in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. _

"_i'm fine Sam, Just worried about the girls". Mercedes rose from the couch and headed into the kitchen to pour another glass of wine, this time she returned carrying the bottle. "When are we going to talk about us?" Sam asked_

"_There is nothing to talk about. what happened happened and right now i can only concentrate on the girls and that's all i have space for." she threw back her wine like it was a shot of Patron. "How have you been? she asked him. "Mercedes i really think we need to talk about what happened. Especially now that Riley will be coming home soon. I mean, she is going to notice that daddy isn't home and what are we going to tell her then? I know this is my fault and we have a lot of other things going on but we can't ignore this for much longer. Mercedes rose from her seat again and walked towards the front door. _

"_I think you should go. it's getting late." Mercedes stood in the foyer with her hand on the doorknob holding the door open. "We need to talk about this Mercedes. We can't keep skating around it like nothing happened. I cheated on you and got caught. You can't sit here and tell me that you have nothing to say or any feelings about this. You can't make me believe that you don't have one single question as to why this all happened." Sam walked up to Mercedes and continued talking. "I don't want to have this discussion as much as you don't but we have to!" Sam slammed the door shut. They stood staring at each other, each waiting for the other to say something. Mercedes began speaking with her eyes lowered. "I can't.. why..wha…" Mercedes stopped trying to figure out the what she was trying to say and just fell into a fit of laughter. Sam just stared at Mercedes in disbelief while she continued to laugh as if she's just been to the best comedy show of her life. The laugh got ridiculously loud and obnoxious and before they even knew it, the laugh turned into crying and then screaming. Sam didn't know whether or not to try and comfort her or let her have her moment, so he opted for the latter. _

" _You Cannot be serious. You are in a relationship with another woman. I could almost understand if you cheated on me and that was it, but no! You are in a full on committed relationship. Do you have secret children too? Another house? Has she been in my house? Why sam? Mervedes rattled off rhetorical question after question. Sam stood patiently waiting for her to finish. He knew he deserved every bit of anger she threw his way. He knew that he caused all the hurt she was feeling and he didn't even know why he did it. he knew that he loved his wife and children more than anyone or anything else on earth and he would die without them. He knew that Mercedes would never do such a thing to him and this action alone could possibly cause him to lose everything, but he didn't think of any of that before he began his affair, He continued to just stare at her when she stopped talking. He saw the hatred in her eyes and he was sure that at that point, nothing he could say or do would change what he had lost his wife. "Sam, I can't d this right now. I need you to leave. I will call you later". This time she didn't wait for him to leave. She walked back to the living room and retrieved her wine glass and turned the music up louder._


	8. Chapter 8

_**This chapter has sort of a flash back thing happening. sorry its been so long. its almost over guys. thanks for reading**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_Six days had passed since Mercedes and Alicia met. Alicia Agreed to meet Sam in the playground two blocks from her Harlem brownstone. The couple spent many nights walking through that park hand in hand, talking about everything. Sometimes they would even bring his daughters and Alicia's dog along, painting a real family picture to the onlookers. Sam was surprised she answered his call on his first try. He was sure that after finding out he was still married and then him not calling her for a week she would be impossible to talk to. Sam sat on a swing and swayed back and forth in the autumn breeze waiting for her to arrive. He was nervous. He kept wringing his clammy palms together. He knew this had to be done, still he hoped she would be a no-show._

_She entered the park and saw him sitting on the swing. She purposely entered the playground from the opposite end. Just incase she saw him and decided at the last moment to flee. Alicia stood still for a moment, gathered her breath and proceeded in his direction. She sat on the swing to the right of him and waited for him to speak. _

_When Sam saw Alicia sit down his heart melted. He knew how much he messed up. Yes he loved the woman before him. She was beautiful, accomplished, strong, giving and fun. When he was with her he forgot about all the loneliness he felt at home when his wife was gone. He knew that there wasn't any excuse for lying to Alicia about being married, and he didn't want to offer this woman any generic reasoning either. He respected her too much for that. _

"_Thank you for meeting me. I wasn't sure if you were going to answer when i called." Sam stopped swaying and planted his feet firmly on the rubber ground beneath him. "Well I'm here so give me a reason to stay. To be completely honest I'm not sure myself why i even agreed to come." it was Alicia's turn to start swaying. She didn't want to look him in the eyes. she didn't want him to see how badly she was truly hurting. "Let me start off by telling how sorry I am for deceiving you. My intentions were never for all of this to happen. I know this is a terrible thing to say but i never thought that two years alter we'd still know each other much less be in a relationship. And i especially never meant to hurt you." Alicia took a moment to let Sam's words sink in before she responded. "How long have you been married?" Alicia resisted the urge to slap him when he revealed he had been married for 10 years and together for 15 years, they'd been together essentially since high school. "How have you been able to keep up the facade? We've spent nights together, we've vacationed, we've vacationed with the kids, I've met your family. How hasn't your family figured out what you were doing? wait, did they know along? I thought i had done my research. After you told me who you were married to I looked all over the internet for articles about your breakup and since I didn't find any pictures of the two of you together that looked relatively new i figured you were telling the truth. "_

"_Since Mercedes is on the road a lot touring it was easy to hide that reality. We made the decision before we were married to keep our private lives out of the media so you wouldn't find much of anything the internet. When i returned from Vegas, I had no intentions of contacting you. and weeks went by and i was scrolling through the pictures in my phone looking for one of my brochure ideas for work i stumbled across a picture of you. I didn't even remember taking. Memories of the fun i had that weekend started pouring to the front of my mind and before i knew it, I was dialing your number. I actually hung up the first time believe it or not. But i looked around and i realised that I was bored. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife, I love my kids and sometimes I even love my job but I missed having fun and you reminded me of the fun that I used to have with my wife before her career took off. I never meant for it to happen again yet alone lead you on for two years. I do love you, I do. But i'm in love with my wife. I owe it to her and to my daughters to try and repair what broke. Alicia didn't know what to say. She came not knowing what to expect but secretly hoping that the odds were stacked in her favor. She could even hear some story about how maybe he and his wife after being a part decided to get back together. she never really fathomed that they'd been together the entire time. It still did not make any sense to her. All of the time they spent together had to been real, not just dates for when his wife was on tour. "I feel so betrayed. All i've done for the past two years is give you and your children my all. i thought we were building a family together. And all this time you've been playing me and playing with my emotions because you were lonely at home". Sam didn't answer. he knew whatever he said in this moment would be wrong and he had already done enough damage. When Alicia Sulked back onto the swing sam stood to say his final goodbyes. There was no way he could ever see Alicia Johnson again and be the committed husband he was supposed to be from the day he said "I do'. "Alicia i'm really sorry. i have to go now. i have to get back to the hospital early tomorrow. Be well." with that Sam began walking away. "Hospital?" Alicia called out behind him. "Yes, Bailey and Riley were in a terrible accident the day after our fiasco. Riley is basically out of the woods and and the doctors have high hopes for her recovery but Bailey is still unresponsive." With that, Sam left the park and continued to walk steadily until he was out of Alicia's view. He never saw the tears that fell from her eyes as she heard the news. He never saw her place her hand over stomach and he never heard her whisper "but we're building a family"._

_Back in his hotel room Sam sat alone in deep thought about that evening in the park with Alicia. He wondered how something that was supposed to only last one night turned into two years of lies and deceit. They had not spoken since that evening. A few times, he dialed her number but never hit the call button. It wasn't that he wanted to continue their affair, he wanted to apologize again He knew that he truly hurt someone and although he knew it was going to end one day and with everyday that passed he hoped that the pain with subside just a little bit more. He had to focus on his wife. He needed to be focused on his daughters and giving those three ladies all he had was much more important than anything else at this point. Sam picked up his phone again, scrolled through the contacts list and deleted Alicia's contact information. _


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Mercedes sat on the side of her bathtub staring in disbelief at the paper she'd been holding for the last hour. She knew that it was in plain English and understood every word but still, her eyes read the first line over and over again. "This can't be right." she mumbled with frustration. Mercedes left the bathroom in search of something quick to throw on and head out the door. Once she located her tennis shoes and baseball cap she flew out the front door.**_

_**It was now 2 months since the accident and she and Sam still  
avoided each other as much as possible outside the hospital. During one  
of their visits to the hospital they bumped into Mercedes' mother. Usually they  
were able to put on a good enough front for audiences and their daughters but  
this was not one of those times. The tension in the air was so thick when the  
trio sat down for lunch that it could not be ignored.**_

"_**The girls are looking so much better, before you arrived the  
doctor told me that princess Bailey regained her appetite and has all the  
nurses sneaking her extra chocolate pudding" Her mom said with a slight  
chuckle. She was doing all she could to lighten in the mood in the cafeteria  
but nothing was working. So finally she asked point blank "what on earth is  
going on between you too?" I know when something is bothering my daughter  
and clearly something sour is happening because both of you look like you'd  
rather be playing darts with each other's faces than sitting here entertaining  
me. Mercedes looked over to her mother and responded without any hesitation.  
**_"_**Mom Sam is having an affair with his doctor. It has been going on for two  
years and I found out by accident in the woman's office. So I apologize but you  
are absolutely correct to assume that I'd rather be doing almost anything  
except for sitting here with him." With that Mercedes rose from the table and  
left her mother sitting with her jaw on the table and Sam's unshaven face  
buried in his hands as she exited the cafeteria. Momma Jones as everyone called  
looked over at Sam. She didn't speak but her eyes showed concern. When  
Sam's head rose from his palms he offered an apology to his mother in-law and  
exited through the same doors as his wife.**_

_**Momma jones returned to Bailey's room a few minutes later in hopes  
of finding her daughter, but neither she nor Sam were there. She however  
did get a message from Riley " momma said she would be back to see us in a  
little while and daddy said he had to go back to work and he would see us  
tomorrow bright morning" Momma jones smiled for the sake of the girls and  
played with them for about an hour more before she too decided it was time for  
her to get home. she kissed her grandbabies, said a prayer for them and headed  
out to the parking lot. Momma jones sat in her car trying to reach  
Mercedes on her cell phone but knew she probably wouldn't answer so she settled  
for leaving a voicemail. "Hi baby, I know you are going through a lot right now  
but you call me. I want to know how you are doing. You know your father is on  
his annual fishing strip so if you wanna come over and talk it'll be just us  
girls. Love you baby, Bye"**_

_**All the way home Momma Jones prayed for her daughter and her  
family while she listened to her favorite praise and worship CD. She knew  
exactly how her daughter felt being betrayed, she too had been cheated on by  
her husband before Mercedes was born. They were able to get through it but it  
took a long time and a lot of rebuilding before it happened. They never even  
told their children about it, no one but their counselor knew about it.**_

_**When momma jones pulled into her driveway she was only half way  
surprised to see her daughter's car taking up way too much space in her garage.  
**_"_**One day that girl is going to learn to park her car properly, we don't all  
have five car garages" her mother said aloud as she entered the house through  
the garage door.**_

"_**Baby" she called out. "In here mom" Mercedes replied. Momma Jones  
walked through the kitchen onto the attached patio her husband built to find  
Mercedes sitting Indian style in her father's favorite chair. She was truly the  
definition of a "daddy's girl" and would always be. "Well that was fast",  
Momma Jones said. Mercedes looked at her puzzled. "What was fast? " I left you  
a message telling you to come over so we could talk about ten minutes ago when I  
left the girls." Momma jones responded.**_

"_**Oh, well  
I've been here since I left there. I didn't want to go home but I didn't want  
to be out either. It seems everywhere I go there is someone with a camera  
asking me about the girls and what not and today is just not the day, although I  
am grateful for the support. Sometimes people fail to realize that too much of  
something can also be a bad thing." Mercedes left her position on her father's  
chair and headed into the kitchen in search of some wine. She found some and  
poured a glass for her and her mother and they ventured into the living room.  
Momma Jones listened to her daughter talk. The defeat on her voice sounded  
nothing like the woman she raised. Her daughter was always full of life,  
finding the best in any situation and just an all-around happy person. The  
person sitting before her was wearing sweat pants and probably didn't comb her  
hair before she threw it into that makeshift ponytail partially hiding  
underneath her cap. She didn't want to rush her daughter into talking about her  
marriage and figured it would take some time for Mercedes to warm up to the  
conversation. She was completely shocked when Mercedes dropped the news on her  
without any coaxing at all. Momma jones tried hard to keep up with the  
details and keep her composure as her daughter cried over her husband's  
infidelity. Hell, momma jones wanted to find Sam herself and slap him silly for  
this mess but everything came crashing down when Mercedes said "And if all that  
wasn't already too much, after a year of continuously trying and failing, today  
I find out I'm 9 weeks pregnant." All momma Jones could do was hold her  
daughter in her arms as she continued to cry until they both fell asleep on the  
living room couch.**_

_**Mercedes woke the next morning almost confused about where she was until she smelled her mother's cooking. Momma jones cooking would always be incomparable to even the greatest and most famous of chefs in Mercedes eyes. Many times she tried to get her mother to seriously consider opening a restaurant but her mother refused saying she loved to cook but never wanted to feel like she was forced to do it. She kept busy with her interior designing and lucrative event planning business. Mercedes rose from her laying position to find her father sitting in the recliner in the far corner of the room gazing at her. "daddy what are you doing home, aren't you supposed to be on your fishing trip?" Momma Jones heard her daughter's questioned and interjected before her father had a chance to respond. "Your father's friend jimmy got called back on account of an emergency at work so the guys decided to cut this trip short. He only arrived about an hour ago. "**_

"_**yeah and I'm now glad I did. I can't tell you the last time I saw you sleep at home. You looked so beautiful asleep, I just had to watch you like I used to do when you and sydney were babies. Things are a little different now though. I heard your snoring before I even got out of my car! Lord have mercy, How does Sam do it?" he chuckled. It was clear to Mercedes that her father knew nothing about Sam's indiscretions and that is exactly how she wanted it for right now. .**_

"_**Kevin leave this child alone, she wasn't even hardly snoring" momma jones said sending a playful tap to the back of her husband's bald head. "Aw, she knows I'm only teasing honey. Right baby? Mercedes nodded her head and yawned. Baby why don't you get freshened up and come help me finish breakfast while your father unloads his van.**_

_**Kevin walked over to where his daughter was sitting and gave her a quick peck before he headed out to the garage. when he got there he saw a car pulling up behind his and watched as a man stepped out. "Cedes Sam's here!" he called out back into the house.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Mercedes looked over to her mother with knowing eyes. "Mom you didnt! Why did you call him over here? He's the last person I want to see." Mercedes questions went unanswered momentarily while her mother and father greeted their son in law. **_

"_**Sam, come in and have a seat. Mercedes is in the living room already." Sam nodded and headed further into the house. Mr jones called out behind him "when you are done in here come around back and help me put these things away." sam offered an "of course" before he continued on his journey into the house. **_

_**He reached the entryway and stared at his wife as she stared out of the window. In that very moment she looked to be in the most peaceful place she's been since he ruined her. He wondered what she was thinking about. Sam continued to admire his wife's beauty from afar in silence, just taking her all in. Both parties were startled out of their thoughts when Momma Jones entered the room " So. Let's talk! " Momma Jones said with the clap of her hands. "Ma, I don't to talk about this. why did you even call him?" Completely ignoring her daughter for the second time, Momma Jones turned to sam. "Honey can you please go in the kitchen and turn down the flames please." Mercedes and her mother sat in silence while Sam completed his task.**_

"_**Now look, You two are a very much adults and your marriage is none of my business but today is a special occasion and my business I shall make it. Sam when I spoke to you this morning you told me that you were unfaithful for an ongoing period of time. When i asked you what made you stray you surprised me and told me that you're actions had no excuse so you weren't going to try and give me one. I also asked you if you still loved your wife and if you were still in love with her and you assured me that you were. finally I asked you two more very important questions and I want you to answer those in front of your wife in just a moment." Mamma Jones shifted in her seat to face Mercedes. " Mercedes is there anything you think you should say to Sam? Let us start with how finding out about his affair made you feel. " **_

" _**Mom, I was serious about not wanting to talk about this or to him. I'll deal with this in my own time." **_

"_**Honey from what I understand it has been two months months since you found this out and i don't want to rush you into anything but it is time to start thinking about what you are going to do. especially since the girls will be coming home soon." **_

_**Mercedes looked back and forth between her mother and her husband. finally, she settled on her husband's face. Without warning she blurted out " I want a divorce" and with that Mercedes walked to the front door, retrieved her car keys and exited through the front door without looking back.**_

"_**What just happened?" Sam stared at his mother in-law in disbelief. She stared back in with sadness in her eyes. n either of them expected for the morning to start and end so abruptly. Sam ran out the house trying to catch Mercedes before she pulled off but it was too late. She was already backing out of the driveway when he exited the doorway. Sam stood and watched her drive down the street until he could no longer see her white Lincoln Navigator truck in the distance. At this point he wasn't even sure if he should or even wanted to follow her. She had dropped the "D" word on him. He sat down on the wooden porch swing he had built with her father many summers ago and his mind began to drift back to the week leading up to the day he proposed to her.**_

_**He had already asked her father for his blessing, now the only thing left to do was plan the perfect proposal. They had numerous talks during their courtship about how it should not happen after seeing so many hilarious fail videos on youtube. there would be absolutely no putting her ring in food, no flash mobs, no huge announcements on the giant screen at Yankee Stadium and most importantly no singing waitresses. He knew that she didn't mind an audience considering how much she loved being on stage and he knew it had to absolutely involve her family. sam sat for hours thinking up and shooting down all ideas that came to his head then out of nowhere it hit him. Every few weeks Mercedes Family had game night at her parent's house. There was going to be food, music, games, laughter and family. it was everything that Mercedes loved.**_

_**In the days leading up to game night Sam made sure to only tell one person about his plans for the evening. He worked extremely hard to keep this secret from Mercedes, something they never did but he knew the payoff would be worth it. At this particular game night the family would be creating vision boards on preparation for the new year. it was a family tradition the family had be doing it since Mercedes and Sydney were able to read. While at work Sam would make mock versions of what he wanted his board to look like. He practiced his penmanship, bought specific magazines to make sure all the things he needed were available, he had their favorite picture restored after a coffee accident ruined it and the ring had been polished three times this week alone. **_

_**The night finally arrived. Game night. "I hope she loves this" Sam said to himself in the mirror. he finished getting ready so he could meet his fiancee to be in the lobby. Mercedes was in her apartment two floors up also getting ready for the evening. She and Sam would meet in the lobby at 7 pm sharp. **_

_**The night went along normally. Charades, card games, music, food, laughter and fun filled the house. The last thing to do that night was the vision boards for the new year. Everyone gathered on the floor of the family room around the massive pile of art supplies. Sam purposely sat further away from the rest of the family so no one would see what he was doing. He was almost busted when one of the children stopped behind him trying to read what he had written in cursive with the gold glitter pen. Luckily Mercedes' father saw the youngster and shooed him away before he could completely make sense of the writing. **_

_**The time of the night when everyone displayed their work had come. everyone's vision board was great and really a reflection of themselves. Mercedes stayed true to her vision board from the last few years. Her board was always so simple but yet perfect. Win a Grammy, be with Sam and travel the world. a few more people took their turns presenting their boards and then it was Sam's turn.**_

_**Mercedes smiled as she watched Sam take his place in the center of room. Every year he delivered a vision board full of outlandish ideas and Mercedes could not wait to see what he had in store for this one. **_


	11. Chapter 11

**_supprise! i didnt know i wanted to keep writing until it happened so two chapters for you today! woo hoo_**

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Sam placed his board on the easel, turned around and began his presentation. "Mercedes 6 years ago you opened your mouth and belted out the most beautiful version of of a Dream Girls classic that I've ever heard in my entire life. and from that very moment i knew i was in love. i knew i was going to marry you. You've been a constant light in my life even through all of the darkness. You are the most beautiful, smart and passionate woman i've ever had the pleasure of meeting and the honor of loving. You make me a better man than I have ever imagined being. I know how beautiful life is with you in it and I don't ever want to imagine a day without you".**_

_**Mercedes had tears flowing down both sides of her face as did everyone else in the room. Sam moved from his position beside his board and his hand appeared a small purple box trimmed with gold. Her two favorite colors. He kneeled before her, opened the box and asked the million dollar question. "Mercedes will you continue to make the me the luckiest man alive by allowing me to be your husband? **_

_**Everyone in the room cheered sam on while they awaited an answer from a crying Mercedes. Mercedes looked around the room in disbelief. she knew knew in her mind that the man kneeling before her is who she planned on spending her entire life with but in this moment she was frozen in her seat. finally, after what seemed like eternity in the room Mercedes exploded out from her chair into a still kneeling Sam. The couple toppled over and everyone chaired. She accepted. Neither of them stopped crying or laughing as they remained in their embrace on the floor. When they stood Sam and Mercedes were swarmed with hugs and congratulations from everyone in the room. Mercedes was pulled away by the ladies wanting to see her ring and Sam Took that time to thank her father for all of his help and blessings again. For the rest of the night the pair stole glances at each other from the across the room.**_

_**Mercedes and Sam left the party that night the happiest they'd ever been and spent the night holding each other closely as they slept. Although both could tell that the other yearned for more, they had all they needed. Their wedding night would be their first intimate encounter together and neither wanted to rush the experience. **_

_**Sam sat on the bench outside his in-laws house and and the reality that he forever ruined one greatest things that has ever happened in his life and one of the greatest people as well with his selfishness and stupidity. He remembered that his father in-law requested his help in the shed so Sam headed around to the back of the house. Sam rounded the corner to find the older man preparing to chop some wood for fire. The men met each other's gaze and no words needed to be spoken. It was clear, Sam needed to chop wood badly so his father in-law handed over the axe without question.**_

_**Sydney agreed to go with Mercedes to her prenatal appointment after learning about all that was going on. She and Mercedes already tight bond grew even stronger over the months after the accident but she was keeping a secret from her sister. A week ago Mercedes rushed to the hospital with bleeding and thought she was suffering a miscarriage. When Sydney got the call she immediately left work and rushed to be with her sister but she left a voicemail with Sam telling him all that was happening. Mercedes was adamant about not involving Sam in any part of her life but sydney felt although that was her sister, he had the right to know. Sydney sat on the Belt Parkway in what seemed like the slowest moving traffic ever in a panic. it took her almost thirty five minutes to reach the exit for the hospital and just as she had her cell phone rang. it was Mercedes. She was calling to update sydney. "Syd the doctor are checking me now, where are you?" SYdney reassured Mercedes that she would be arriving in fifteen minutes and that everything was going to be fine. and hung up. ever since the accident Sydney didn't like any sort of distractions while driving. **_

_**Sydney reached the emergency department and was escorted to her sister who was now asking a nurse for some blankets to keep her warm. Sydney collected herself and entered the draped off room. "hey baby, is the baby ok?" Sydney reached over and kissed her sister's forehead. Mercedes gave a half- hearted smile "they said he looks good but they're running a few test now just to be sure. the doctor said it could just be some pre term bleeding but it should stop on its own." **_

"_**YOU SAID HE! it's a boy? awww baby everything will be fine. you've got a lil fighter in there that's all." just as Sydney finished trying to cheer things up, the doctor came smiling through the curtain. "good news Mrs. Evans all of your test came back perfectly normal. just take it easy for a few days and watch for cramping. if you have any of those come back but for now you and your baby are a healthy pair."**_

_**Sydney suddenly remembered that she needed to make an urgent phone call and told her sister she was running to the bathroom while she spoke with the doctor. sydney stepped out into the hall and dialed Sam's number again. Thankfully his phone was still going to voicemail and he hadn't received her previous message. when the phone beeped she left a message updating Sam and telling him not to contact Mercedes. Sydney hung up the phone and returned to help her sister get back home. She still did not approve of what he sister was doing and hoped she would be able to talk some sense into her. The baby would be due in four months and then what was Mercedes going to do?**_

_**Since Mercedes took a cab to the hospital Sydney drove her back to her house. When they pulled into the driveway they were both stunned to see Sam there cutting the grass that had been neglected as of lately. Sydney was busted. Sam saw the car pull in and he turned off the lawn mower and waited patiently for Mercedes to exit the car. He figured he would not out Sydney for calling him, but make up a lie as to why he was there and fake shock which was actually real when he saw that she was pregnant. **_

_**He stood with his hands buried deep in his pockets. Mercedes hesitated as she exited the car and walked toward the house. Sam thought he knew what beauty was until that very moment. Mercedes was glowing. Sam did everything in his power not to run to his wife and hold her tightly in his arms. he walked slowly to her, staring at her her the entire way. she didn't flinch when he moved to touch her growing belly. Sydney sat in the car and watched the exchanged between her sister and her husband. Mercedes leaned into sam and allowed for him to hold her. once in his embrace mercedes let out a cry she'd been holding in for months. she was happy to see him but angry that he was there at the same time. they stood in their embrace for about 5 minutes both crying. they listened as Sydney pulled out of the driveway. neither spoke to each other as they separated, mercedes walked into the house and Sam went back to mowing the lawn. When he was done there he left and went home. he really needed to process the events of the day. So did she.**_


End file.
